Burner safety control



March 22, 1938. o; L, B CK 2,111,744

BURNER SAFETY CONTROL Filed July 2, 1934 @axr Mays.

, Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE BURNER SAFETYQONTROL Oscar L. Bock, Madison Wis, assignor Bock Oil BurnerCorporation, Madison, Wis-, a

corporation, of Wisconsin Application July 2,1934, Serial Nb. 733,360

and abnormal conditions. /1

The primary object of the present invention is 10 to provide a new andimproved device for supplying fuel oil to burners and controlling theflow of the oil to the burners, and which is provided with new'and novelmeans} for removing or draining the surplus oil, which. is s e andfoolproof,

15 and which is so constructed-an arranged so that the device willoperate positively and efllciently.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means forcontrolling the flow and overflow of oil to the burner by providingasump in which certain mechanism is controlled by the oil level thereinand which is so constructed and arranged that the customary orconventional ex posed overflow drip buckets to operate shut-d means maybe eliminated.

25 A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and novelcontrol device, which is provided with means for controlling the supplyof fuel to the oil burner, which is provided with new and novel cut -outmeans, which has means for 30 collecting the overflow as well asproviding shutoff means, and which is constructed and arranged to permitfor the reception of excess fuel supplied to the burner as-well asproviding means for draining the-device either by the removal of a 35sump or by the operation of a conveniently located and efficientlyoperated valve, depending upon whether or not the sump is to beconnected by a return line from the burner.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be 4 apparent throughout theprogress of the following specification.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a selected embodiment of theinvention and the view shown therein is a detail sectional elevation 45through a device and burner showing the various parts in a practicalarrangement. l

The specific arrangement and construction herein shown, for the purposeof illustration, comprises a fuel supply tank i containing a hy- 50drocarbon such as fuel oil which feeds through a supply pipe 2 through astrainer 3 operatively arranged in a supporting housing 4. A connectingnipple connects the inlet and strainer housing d to the chamber housing6. Fuel oil from the 55 supply source I passes through the feed line 2into the housing 4 where it is strained by the strainer 3 and thenpasses through the nipple 5 and through the restricted opening I formedin the supporting or coupling member 8. This latter member 8 is providedwith a longitudinal or 5 vertical bore 9- into which there is arrangedfor operation a, valve l0. Ports ll communicate with the opening I tosupply 011 to the chamber withinthe chamber housing 8. The oil levelrises in the chamber and raises the float l2 which, when ris- 10 ing,causes the needle valve in to be seated against. the inlet opening I andshut off further fuel supply. After sufilcient fuel oil is drawn oilfrom the chamber, the-float i2 will again lower and cause the needlevalve to again become unseated and permit further supply of fuel ,oil.The oil flows out of the chamber outlet i3 and through the burner feedline It to the burner it. A metering device i6, either manually orelectrically controlled, (electrical control being shown) may beinterposed in the line H as shown in the drawing. The oil coming throughthe line H is fed to the burner bowl where it flows to the lower surfaceand is burned. In case of flame failure or extinguishment, the levelofthe oil in the bowl will rise to the lower row of holes ii in the flrepot idwhere it will flow into the outer bowl l5 and then through thereturn line IE to the sump 2t.

As previously mentioned, the valve ill is controlled by the float 12 soas to maintain a constant level of oil in the'chamber 6. As the oillevel rises in the chamber, raising the float l2, the needle valve illwill be depressed due to the action of the float i2 engaging the hingedlever arm ii; The hinged lever arm 2| is pivoted at 22 and'has its freeouter end 23 operatively connected to a part 24 on the valve ill topositively raise and lower the needle valve in conformance withthemovement of the float I2 and maintaining a normal constant levelwithin the chamber 6. However, in case of faulty operation and shouldthe level of the oil in the chamber rise, it will flow over a spillway26 into the lower sump 20. As the oil continues to rise in the sump 20,due to the overflow of the chamber 6, a float 26 arranged'in the sump 20will rise. An arm 2'! fastened to the float 26 is pivotally connected toa transverse rod or lever28 as indicated at 29. This transverse lever 28is pivotally mounted as indicated at 30. As the fuel level in the sump20 raises the float 26, the arm 2'! and the lever 28 will be operatedand unhook the dog 3| from its engaging arm. 32 whichis pivoted at- 33.A spring 34 normally urges the engaginglarm 32 in a downward directionand normally holds the dog into engaged position with the arm 32. Whenthe float 26 rises to swing the lever 28 on its pivot 30, the dog 3|will become disengaged and the spring 34 will. cause the needle valveIII to be depressed against its seat I and thereby shut off the feed offuel to the chamber 6.

To again put the device in operation, the 011 must be drained from thesump so that the float 26 will fall to a lower position and allow theengaging arm to be reset and again take the weight of the spring 34 offof the needle valve ID. This latter operation is done by pulling down onthe valve pin 35 to compress the spring 36 to unseat the needle valve 31from its seat 38 and permit the oil to pass from the sump through theorifice or drain opening 39. The oil will then flow out of the sumpthrough the needle valve,

opening 39 which is drilled in the valve body 40. When the pin or needlevalve 35 is released, the spring 36 will drive the needle valve 31against its seat preventing further discharge 1 oil until the stem 35 isagain pulled downwar y. When the oil is drained as low as possiblethrough this latter described means, a small amount of the fuel willremain in the burner outlet l9 and in the trap connection designatedgenerally by the numeral 4|. The burner drain l9 and the connection 4|act to prevent air and gases from being blown back into the controldevice when the burner is operating and where pressure is around theinner burner bowl as would be the case when a motor driven blower isattached to the outer burner housing l5. It is apparent that gases mightbe forced back from the bowl l8 through the connecting pi l9 into thesump 20 and escape into the room if it were not for the liquid sealbetween the burner and the device, the liquid seal being the fuel oil inthe trap 4| and the pipe line l9.

In some cases it might be expedient, convenient or more economical todispense with the valve 35 and the return line l9. If such is the case,the sump 20 can be made removable by providing a hanger pin 42 whichengages a part of the sump and a lug 43 and a locking connection 44.This locking connection may comprise a spring arm 45 fastened to a partof the device as indicated at 46, and a lip 41 formed on the sump, thelip 41 being engaged by a-keeper end 48 on the spring arm 45. Therefore,when the sump is filled with fuel a sumcient distance to prevent thereception of oil to the chamber 6, the sump can very conveniently beremoved and the contents poured therefrom.

'uRegardless of the sumpconnection and ar rangement, the device is ofsuch a construction that the oil cannot escape from the sump at leastuntil the mechanism has tripped and shut off further flow of oil.

The invention provides new and novel means for positively cutting oflthe fuel supply line when a certain amount of excess fuel has beendelivered through faulty operation or otherwise. The parts are simpleand compact in construction and arrangement and the device as a wholeoperates positively and eiflciently. The invention further provides fora return line to the sump or for a removable sump where no return lineis required or desired. In cases where the return line is used, and itis deemed advantageous to use it, the sump may be provided with a springvalve operated so that it will always be free. The particularconstruction of the sump outlet valve is such that the valve cannot beblocked up by placing objects underneath it as it must be pulledoutwardly to drain the sump. Also the arrangement of the valve is suchthat it cannot be left open accidentally. Valve mechanism designatedgenerally by the numeral 49 may be provided for shutting off thecommunication of fuel from the chamber 6 to the burner feed line l4.

Changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement-of theparts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificingany of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all suchchanges as fairly fall within the scope of the following claim.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

A liquid control mechanism comprising an intake chamber, a controlchamber and a sump chamber, said intake chamber and said sump chamberbeing in parallel juxtaposition and located directly below the controlchamber, a vertical passage connecting the top of the intake chamber tothe bottom of the control chamber, a

valve seat disposed at the opening in the control chamber of the saidvertical passage, a valve closure rod operatively mounted in the valveseat and adapted to move longitudinally in a vertical line into and outof engagement with the valve seat, a collar on said valve closure rod, ayoke pivotally mounted in the control chamber, one end of said yokeengaging the collar, a float member rigidly mounted on the other end ofthe yoke means, outlet means in the control chamber, auxiliary springactuated means adapted to operatively engage the valve closure rod andmove the same to closed position, means normally holding said auxiliarymeans out of operative engagement with said valve closure rod, conduitmeans opening into the top of the sump chamber, said conduit meansopening into the control chamber at a predetermined level above thelevel of the outlet means of the control chamber, sump float means inthe sump chamber, and means operatively connecting the sump float meanswith the said holding means, said connecting means being operable toactuate the auxiliary means into operative engagement with respect tothe valve closure rod to move the same to closed position when the sumpfloat means rises in the sump to a predetermined level. v

, OSCAR L. BOOK.

